Just count how many times you cringe and multiply that by how many times you hear nonsensical engineering doublespeak. I scored it a 140. (The demo segment fails so badly that the humiliated pilot snatches his drone from midair and bolts from the stage).

Contrast that with what we’ve come to expect at Apple’s upcoming WWDC next month. Different planets. Microsoft made a wrong turn and never looked back.

I love that this video has no known source and no timestamp because Steve Jobs’ passion was both universal and timeless. In these days of teleprompters and canned speeches it is refreshing to hear such a spontaneous outporing of emotion. Steve’s genuineness was evident in his voice, his eyes, his hand gestures and ultimately in his actions.

“Curriculum development – we’re passionate about it. We really, really care about this stuff. We always have – we always will.

Some people think that the primary use of technology in schools is just rote learning. You know, drill and practice: “let’s make sure these kids are prepped for the test so that our schools get good scores to report to the state”. And that is important. But that’s not why we’re all here is it?

We’re all here to teach these kids how to learn and how to preserve their magicalcuriosity. And to learn how to express themselves creatively.

In business, I know, the people that get ahead are not the people that know the facts, They’re the people that know howtoget the facts. And the people that know how to have insight into them and then creatively express that insight. And sell the rest of their colleagues and eventually customers on their insights.

And these are things that are not learned in a spreadsheet. They are not learned by just writing written reports. They are learning by inspiring kids.

We are so committed to making the best stuff in the world for education. And helping teachers deliver it in the best possible way to students. And I don’t know of any other company in the world that cares as much and has cared as long as Apple has. And your have our commitment that that not going to change.”

The most beneficial upgrade you can make to your MacBook or iMac is to swap your old spinning hard drive for a new SSD. Faster boot up times and instant application start ups will add new life to an aging computer. You should consider getting two and use one in an external drive enclosure for Time Machine backups or Photo Library storage.

This is the first time a spacious 1 terabyte SSD has dipped below $250. Limited time at this low price…

At its recent WWDC 2017 conference Apple unveiled its HomePod speaker but was intentionally vague regarding it’s final feature set. It was promoted as an high-end audio streamer for the Apple Music catalog but little else was detailed. In the months leading to its anticipated Dec 2017 release Apple is working hard to expand and perfect features such as Siri and HomeKit integration. This left analysts and consumers to speculate regarding additional use cases for the still mysterious device. A whole-home music system akin to Sonos is a given but what about using the HomePod as a Home Theater speaker system?

Using the AppleTV to stream Apple Music to the HomePod speaker is implied in the AirPlay 2 specifications. This could be a significant selling point for both of those devices. You could view the song’s artist, title and even lyrics on the TV screen during music playback. Karaoke anyone? But this would require Siri commands to originate from the AppleTV remote which needs a physical button press for activation. It seems more likely that you’d control music playback by talking directly to the HomePod which would in turn stream lyrics and other song info to the AppleTV for display on your TV screen. Your TV screen could also display the results of Siri queries to the HomePod microphone much like Amazon’s pending Echo Show device. Expect Apple TV and HomePod to integrate closely as they are both HomeKit hubs and must coordinate to avoid conflicts.

Using the HomePod as part of a home theatre sound system while technically possible would be far from ideal. Citing a “less than optimal user experience” I think Apple will downplay any home theatre scenarios.

Potential shortcomings include:
1. Most AppleTV in use today are already linked via HDMI to an AVR receiver with wired speakers. Adding a HomePod to this setup is superfluous. Even if your AppleTV audio is currently playing through crummy television speakers using the HomePod has other pitfalls…

2. It’s critical that the center channel originates from directly behind (or below) the TV screen. This is the channel that carries most of the vocal dialog. It’s very off-putting for a character’s voice to originate from the sides or rear. That’s why sound bars are designed to sit front and center. From that position they can project realistic dialog while digitally mimicking the surround and rear speakers. Even with the HomePod’s advanced signal processing it would best be positioned under the TV for the truest dialog rendering. But it’s cylindrical shape doesn’t really fit there. Sonos, Bose and Vizio all have properly shaped speakers with specialized audio enhancements designed just for this purpose.

3. Deep bass sounds are omni-directional and reflect well off parallel surfaces. So placement near a wall often enhances their punch. With its rather small and upward firing subwoofer the HomePod would especially benefit from this phenomenon. Even with its room-mapping technology and automatic calibration the HomePod will fare better away from the TV screen – ideally near a corner of the room for the greatest bass boost.

4. True stereo sound (not simulated) would require 2 HomePod speakers. That’s $700 in speakers plus another $150 for the AppleTV. To most consumers this seems overpriced considering a well-reviewed soundbar with subwoofer can be had for $150. And with a 4K Roku priced at just $70 Apple is best avoiding this comparison altogether.

5. If the first generation of HomePod is well-received Apple is free to futher expand the product line. This could include a home theater model designed specifically for the living room. And a full screen model for the kitchen?A camera equipped model for FaceTime calls? A battery operated model for the back yard? Time will tell…

Amazon continues to pump out Alexa-enabled devices about every 3 weeks. In the last month or so we’ve seen the Echo Look and Echo Show. Today it’s the Alexa Dash Wand complete with bar code scanner and fridge magnet. Ordering from Amazon is now easier than ever – and that’s the whole idea.

I don’t know anything about the software that allowed these videos to be created but the result is hypnotizing. Familiar faces age fifty years in a matter of minutes. It is simultaneously uplifting and angst-inspiring.

I’ve shown these to a few people and the emotions are visceral and nearly universal…

Watching the years race by we cannot help but ponder our own aging process. We are gripped by the urge to press pause at a certain image that is youthful or charismatic. And later we pine to rewind when it’s clear the best years have passed. But instead our minds fast forward to the inevitable conclusion we all must face. And when the present day is reached and the image freezes there is relief. And an appreciation of the time that remains. Existential crisis has been averted!

It sounds a bit dramatic but watch the links below and see if you don’t feel the same. Self-preservation and body image are the most basic of instincts. It’s the human condition. Our default programming is a constant state of denial.

We don’t often ponder our own existence because it’s so uncomfortable. But I think it’s healthy to do so once in a while. We all get old – hopefully with the same grade and dignity as these familiar folks.

How would you feel about a video like this with your own photos? Watch a few from the playlist before you decide.

Sony’s Noise-Cancelling Headphones compare favorably to Bose’s offerings and today they are $150 off the regular price. If you are considering over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones then this deal is hard to beat at just $199.